Meaning of Idiom ‘Sleep In’ (phrasal verb)
1. To sleep later than usual, usually by choice, such as on the weekends or during a vacation.
2. adj. To sleep at the place where a person is employed, such as a butler or maid sleeping in their employer’s house (more common: live in)
Sentence Examples
“I can’t wait for the weekend so I can sleep in and relax.”
“I like to sleep in during my vacations. I’m not one of those people who likes to overschedule myself when I’m supposed to be resting and unwinding.”
“Sorry I can’t to church. Sunday is the only day I get to sleep in.”
“I feel so much better today since I was able to sleep in this morning.”
“Michael can’t come to the phone right now. He had a very long day and is sleeping in.”
“I lived in a strange neighborhood. We could barely afford rent while my neighbor had a sleep-in maid.”
Origin
In terms of employment, this idiom has been used since the first part of the 1800s. It began to be used to mean sleeping late sometime during the latter part of the century.
